Scorose Collection
by aimeedaralyon
Summary: COLLECTION. Collection of all my Scorpius Malfoy x Rose Weasley one-shots and drabbles. Pre-Scorose included. Rated for cursing.
1. Committed

**Committed**

Scorpius had only been working at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement (DMLE), sub department Magical Creatures, for one week and he was already exhausted. He had joined the department just before a big deadline, to finish a law proposal that would aid in giving magical creatures a job much easier but the days had been long, about 10 hours per day, each day. The deadline was Friday 8pm and by then everyone was in need to unwind after a crazy week. Even though Scorpius had only been working there a week, he had already made friends with the colleagues he shared his office with beside Rose. Ross Ulster, Jennifer Stone and Savannah Johnson. It was a small world, as all three had been to Hogwarts, Ross and Jennifer a few years before Scorpius and Rose did and Savannah had been in their year. Ross was a broad Irish fellow, who had piercing blue eyes, a huge head of red hair and a full beard. While his posture might've looked impressive in the beginning, Scorpius soon came to learn that the guy was very friendly and willing to explain much about how a specific law was made. Jennifer Stone, heiress of the Stone-Hotel empire was a cool and calculating girl who had a specific no-nonsense attitude at work. She was always professional and straight black hair that was always tied in a bun together with her thin lips accentuated the no-nonsense attitude. Savannah Johnson he already knew as Roxy Weasley's girlfriend and it was nice to see that the warmth she displayed when being around Roxy at the Burrow, was also extended to Rose and himself in the department.

Rose had been a different subject all together because he was best friends with Albus Potter and he had been at the Burrow each Christmas where Rose also was. They had both been each other's firsts in the biblical sense, after getting drunk and he confessed his love for her. The day after, Rose had been gone by the time he'd woken up and when he tried to talk to her about it, it appeared that she had completely forgotten his love confession to her. Rose had started dating Robert in their 7th year and both Albus and Scorpius hated the guy. When they broke up after one year, it took Rose a while to start dating again. She'd bumped into a new guy, Michael and even while Scorpius tried to hate this guy, he really couldn't. That didn't mean that Scorpius wasn't incredibly jealous, but when he started dating Samantha that seemed to fade mostly. Sam was wonderful in every single way. She was a year below Scorpius, sorted in Hufflepuff and a truly kind spirit. She would never hurt a fly and it made Scorpius like himself being around her. Sam was a Healer at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries on the first floor where patients came in for creature-induced injuries. Sam made long hours, but was a warm and well-accomplished person and most importantly, his parents had completely loved her since day one. Astoria Malfoy-Greengrass, Scorpius' mother, had also been a Hufflepuff and been connected to Sam immediately, bonding over House-pride.

When Rose had found out that Scorpius would come to work at her department, she had stopped by his place and offered to show him around in advance and give him a few pointers. He had enthusiastically accepted and found himself in the friendly company of his former crush.

Before long, the week had flown by and everyone had agreed to floo home and change into something a bit more comfortable which Scorpius didn't find especially necessary, but Jennifer had insisted. Upon entering the Werewolf Cub Pub, a modern wizarding pub located in a secluded area of London, he looked around to find his colleagues. He found Ross fairly quickly and next to him he found Jennifer who he almost didn't recognise. She was dressed in a low-cut red dress, wearing more prominent make up and her hair suddenly was very long to halfway down her back. She waved Scorpius over and he smiled back, making a stop at the bar first.

"Hey Scorp, will you get me a bottle of elfwine?" Rose asked while bumping his shoulder. He turned to look at Rose and found his eyes wandering over her bright eyes and gorgeous body that was now a bit more visible in a simple black dress that didn't do Rose any justice. Additionally, Rose hadn't put on any extra make-up but she did release her hair from its tight bun that was expected at work. When he realised he was staring, she simply put a few galleons into his hand and smiled friendly. He had to remind himself of Sam, who had just started the night shift at St. Mungo's. Shaking his head to rid himself of the thoughts that riddled his tired brain, he ordered a few butterbeers and a bottle of elfwine and joined Rose to the table. After a few minutes Savannah entered and joined the group with a bottle of firewhiskey in her hand. While plumping down next to Rose she placed the bottle of firewhiskey on the table and said, "Let me tell you, the weather forecast is horrendous. It's going to storm tonight. So I brought us something that will keep us warm."

Savannah grinned wickedly and conjured some shot glasses and filled them before passing them to everyone. Jennifer immediately raised it in the air, "To making this world a better place for everyone!"

Scorpius was surprised by these words, as he had not expected to hear those words come out of Jennifer's mouth. At work she'd been very technical, even if they were talking about the future of magical creatures, but right now she seemed a little warmer than she had shown previously. And what followed after everyone at the table downed the shot surprised him even more. Ross kissed Jennifer on the lips and said, "So proud of you, woman."

She smiled wicked, kissed him back and replied, "Thanks, babe."

Scorpius looked at Rose and Savannah in shock when he realised that they were just refilling their glasses, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Jennifer who had apparently noticed Scorpius' shock started to grin and sent Scorpius a humoured look. "You didn't know about Ross and me, I'm guessing?"

"No, I didn't," Scorpius replied smiling.

"Ah, so now you know." Jennifer said simply and moved to sit on Ross's lap.

"Yes," Scorpius replied dryly.

Ross grinned and took a sip of his butterbeer. "Say, Scorpius, are you seeing anyone?"

"I have a girlfriend, her name is Sam, she's a healer in St. Mungo's."

"Long?" Ross asked.

"We've been together for nearly 3 years now."

"Oh, same as Rose with her Michael and Savannah with her Roxy then! What happened, you all went to the same club or something?"

"We actually met at the 33rd annual Second Wizarding War Remembrance. I was 25 then, just like Rose."

"Ah, I see. So did you and Rose ever hook up during your time at Hogwarts?"

Scorpius choked on his butterbeer and his eyes went wide. "Excuse me?"

"No, we didn't. I already told you this, Ross." Rose joined in.

Scorpius refrained from frowning as it was a blatant lie, but Rose apparently didn't want any of her colleagues to know, not that Scorpius could blame her.

"Nope, did always find her hot though," Scorpius added and as soon as the words left his mouth, he knew he made a mistake. Luckily, Jennifer interrupted Ross's line of question.

"You hardly seem like the person who is all about looks. I've seen you work the past week through all that dry material for paragraph F and there's more to you than just nice looks. I'm guessing you're a brain-man who finds passion for a good cause in a woman the most attractive quality there is."

Oddly enough, Jennifer guessed it just right. Frowning, Scorpius took a sip from his drink and nodded silently. Trying to get the line of questions off of him, Scorpius turned to question Jennifer and Ross, "So how long have you been together, Jennifer and Ross?"

"Six years, we've gotten married last June."

"Wait, really?" Scorpius asked unbelieving.

Jennifer laughed and showed Scorpius her wedding ring. "We are 32, Scorpius, we are allowed to be married. We just make our wedding rings invisible during work hours. We don't want our personal life to interfere with our professional life."

While the conversation continued, Rose found herself thinking of what Jennifer had said. Savannah had apparently noticed and excused herself and Rose to go to the bathroom. Once the music had faded behind the bathroom door, Savannah looked into Rose's eyes. "Hey, Rose. You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm just… I always thought that Scorpius was more of a looks guy than a brain and passion man. Well, maybe not in the beginning, but his last year at Hogwarts and the years after that, definitely."

"Oh, come on, he was young! Now he has a stable relationship, a charity, works in a department where the pay sucks but the idealists thrive if they don't bow under work pressure and I haven't heard him complain once this week. This morning he was even in before I arrived! I hardly deem him as the one who goes after meaningless arm-candy with no content."

"Mmm." Rose agreed and admittedly, she had forgotten about his charity for orphaned wizards and witches.

"Thinking about it, he seems too good to be true, right?" Savannah asked Rose softly.

"What are you talking about? I'm happy with Michael!" Rose replied laughing, not sure if Savannah meant it as a joke or was serious.

"Are you, though? You hardly talk about him," Savannah asked, this time sounding serious.

"Yes of course. I wouldn't stay with someone if they made me unhappy. Michael is great, I love going to parties with him, he can make great conversation and he is one of the best in his field."

"Okay, so what is his field?"

"Developing potions for the ill and sick."

"Okay, that's great but what do you do on a lazy Sunday? What do you do beside the Saturday night parties? What do you do when you are alone with just the two of you?"

"We do loads of stuff! We go to the zoo, go see a muggle movie, go to conferences in either of our professions."

"Then you are not alone with the two of you," Savannah interjected.

"Fine, what do you and Roxy do when you are alone together?" Rose retorted.

"We paint, we have sex, I cook for her, she takes me away on spontaneous short holidays, we surprise each other! And we talk about what our children will look like, we talk about what we would do if either of us died, we massage each other, go to a spa, we discuss politics, we rile each other up, fight and then make up, and do the same thing all over again. We dance together, making up our own steps. She sends me love notes or flowers, I kidnap her from her work once in a while to go somewhere, like to the beach. Next week I'm going to take her to see the northern lights, _Aurora Borealis_. It's something she wanted to do for a long time. And best of all, I tell her I love her every day and then kiss her."

"Okay! I get it. But with our work… we've just been so busy that we can hardly be spontaneous. It's not that we don't want to, it's just that we don't have the time."

Savannah raised her eyebrows and pointed at herself, "Rose, we have exactly the same job. I just make time for Roxy, because I want to."

"But-" Rose interjected.

"No, Rose. Just answer me this, do you want kids with Michael?"

The reply was instant. "No."

"Do you see yourself having kids with anyone else?"

This reply was also immediate. "No."

"Oh, then I guess you've got nothing to worry about."

The bathroom door opened and Jennifer appeared in the door opening. "What are we talking about?"

Savannah sighed, "Relationships."

"Oh, are you and Michael alright, Rose?"

"Why? Why ask me and not Savannah?!" Rose asked, feeling attacked by both Savannah and now Jennifer.

"Uhm, because you hardly share something about Michael and I can see a hickey in Savannah's neck through her not-so-covering make up."

"My relationship with Michael is fine. Nothing wrong. Now let's head back and get drunk, we've deserved it after all."

"I'll be right behind you," Jennifer said, popping into a bathroom stall quickly. "Yeah me too," Savannah added while jumping into a bathroom stall as well.

Once Rose returned at the table, she poured the shot glasses full of firewhiskey and raised it to Scorpius and Ross's glasses. "To our new law and to not thinking!"

"Here here!" Ross joined in.

Scorpius did the same and when the two other girls came back, Rose made a statement, loud enough for everyone in the pub to hear.

"Because we have been working our arses off this past week, I suggest we stop thinking for tonight and just be!"

"Here here!" Ross and Scorpius agreed instantly and after Savannah and Jennifer shared a look, they quickly joined in too.

When the clock hit 2am, Savannah, Ross and Jennifer got up from their seats to go home. Scorpius was going to follow until Rose grabbed him by his arm, "Scorp, come on, just a few more drinks? Aren't you having fun?" Rose begged.

"Yeah but…-"

"You are free tomorrow, Sam is in the night shift, just be you for a little while," Rose pleaded.

Scorpius knew he should go, but his intoxicated state didn't help in making the right decisions.

"Alright."

"Yay! Bartender, another round for me and my friend over here!"

The bartender nodded and while he prepared the drinks, Rose and Scorpius waved their colleagues goodbye.

It didn't take long until they were talking about how Rose had made the potions lab explode in their first year and roaring with laughter. "Well, no sane person puts Armadillo bile with Jewelweed and not expect it to blow up. I still remember Professor Lawrence's look of horror when you said that you were brewing it for five minutes already. And I still remember the second before it blew up in his face," his voice was filled with so much joy and happiness that Rose couldn't stop laughing. Laughing so hard her stomach hurts, she suddenly realised that he made her forget time completely, something Michael never had done. For some reason she was always very much aware of time when around Michael. And Savannah's questions haunted her, did she really not want children? Rose bet that Scorpius children would be perfect, with so much heart and warmth for the right cause. Taking another sip of her elf wine she looks into his eyes and almost drowns their depth. Somehow it felt very intimate. After being silent for what seemed like hours, Scorpius opened his mouth.

"What?" he asked softly.

"It's possible isn't it? It's possible that you could meet somebody who is perfect for you even though you're committed to somebody else?"

Scorpius frowned while thinking and quickly shook his head. "No. No, I think if you're committed to somebody you don't allow yourself to find perfection in someone else."

"You're just telling me what I don't want to hear."

Scorpius was silent for a second, trying to read her face and eyes with what she meant by that. "What do you mean?"

His eyes searched for an answer in her eyes but when he realised what she was saying she suddenly got up from her seat, smashed a lot of galleons onto the bar to pay for their drinks and stormed out of the Werewolf Cub Pub. She ran into the street to go to the apparation point three streets further.

"Wait, Rose! Wait! Hold on, will you?"

He took her arm and only then she turned around, only to jerk his hands off her arm.

"Look, I'm just drunk and I don't know what I'm saying. Just forget everything I said, alright? I'll see you at work on Monday," she bit out.

"What do you expect me to say? You know how I feel about you!"

Rose narrowed her eyes at him and suddenly realised that it was pouring rain outside.

"Apparently not! You're this perfect guy who has the perfect life! Why don't you go home to your perfect Samantha, huh?"

"Rose, come on. You're not being fair. I haven't made it a secret that I want you. Never have. Not while we were at Hogwarts, never after Hogwarts, not to your family and definitely not to you." Scorpius said heated, while wiping off some of the rain that was leaking out of his hair and streaming down his face.

Now, Rose's eyes went wide. "You cannot be serious! You were always horsing around with your clique of girls that stalked you like, 24/7! You have slept with all of them and you don't think-…"

"…- Wait. That is what you think? That I've slept around with all of them? I've never touched any of the Slyther Clique girls. The only girls I've slept with were you, Michelle, River and Sam, Rose! And River doesn't even count, she was a one-night stand!"

Thunderclaps caused Rose to look away from him for just a second while the rain was coming down hard.

"What?!" she jelled in disbelief while lightning strikes again.

"I never slept with anyone of the Slyther Clique, not a single one. I promise, they were just making that stuff up."

"But you never denied it! Not even when I joked or teased you about it!" Rose yelled, slamming her fist backward while taking a step towards him.

Tension hung in the air because a new set of lightning and thunder would come soon and the air was loaded with all the electricity, but somehow it was silent for just a moment.

"Because I was trying to make you jealous."

Another thunderclap.

"Fuck you, Scorpius! Just go back to your perfect life!"

"Perfect life? Is that what you think? My life was hell before I met you."

"What are you talking about?"

"Until you approached me on the Hogwarts express, I had been pointed at, cursed at and yelled at by people claiming I'm the devil's incarnate. When you told me that you weren't going to continue our family's feud and decided that all the friction between our families should disappear completely because you wanted to focus on your school and not be distracted by some revenge-acting and you pushed Albus to be my friend since day one, I've never been treated like that again. Even my parents are free to walk everywhere again without being pointed at and whatever. You were the one who started all of that Rose. You were fucking 11 and changed my whole life. I've been in love with you since the day I met you. I realised that I was in love with you when all my decisions began to revolve around you."

"And this is how you repay me? By fucking with my mind? Screw you, Scorpius! I was completely happy with Michael until you dropped this bomb on me."

Scorpius gritted his teeth. "No. You started this the moment you asked me that question."

"Yeah and you jumped on it," she reproached.

He grabbed her shoulders and stared deep into her hazel brown eyes. "Enough. You know I would give everything up for you the minute you say it."

"I'm engaged!" Rose yelled, showing him her ringed finger.

"Yeah, well so am I!" Scorpius yelled back, showing her his finger too. Pushing it up close to her face.

Shock was written on Rose's face. "You proposed to her?"

"I was tired of waiting for you, but…"

"So what do you suggest, Scorpius? That we're both just breaking off our engagements and get together?"

Rain was pouring down Scorpius face and both of their clothes were drenched but neither of them felt it. Scorpius put his hands around Rose's face and said, "Rose, we're destiny. Meant to be. You and I."

"I don't think so!" Rose yelled while a lighting strike lighted up the whole sky.

"Then I have one question for you. Have you ever fought with Michael like we do?"

"No," Rose admitted.

"Didn't think so. Because you don't care that much. When I walked into the office Wednesday morning, I heard you yelling to one of the Wizengamot judges about how important this law is and how important it is that this law will make it. You yell because you care! Hell, I yell because I care! The only person who makes me scream in frustration, is you."

"How dare you say that I don't care? I love Michael!"

"No, you like what he represents! What is favourite colour? His favourite Quidditch team? What does he think of the law we just made?"

"He doesn't know," Rose said quietly.

"What?" Scorpius asked, feeling like he was on the verge of a breakthrough.

"He doesn't know what this law is for. I tried to tell him over dinner, but he had to work some more," her voice sounded small and she wouldn't meet his eyes anymore.

Scorpius looked at the tears that were now dripping down Rose's cheeks. He opened his mouth, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Look, can we just forget this happened? I have to go home and break off my engagement, not that it will be a surprise to anyone…" she grumbled while slowly starting to walk away again.

"Rose, do you love me?"

Rose stopped.

She turned around, narrowed her eyes and then just looked at the guy that was standing in front of her. She remembered how Scorpius had helped her little brother Hugo with improving his potions grade. How Scorpius had punched Tommy when he turned out to be cheating on Dominique. How he was a groomsman for Teddy and Victoire's wedding together with all the other Potter/Weasley boys. How he had kissed her the night of Yule ball. How he had confessed his love for her that same night, and how she had lied to him about forgetting all about it. How jealous she felt when the Slyther Clique claimed to have slept with him. How proud he looked at the opening auction for his charity, how grateful he was that she showed him around at work. That when her first law was passed, he was there to congratulate her. The charming way he had brought her coffee on his first workday. The moment when he asked Rose's help when he was failing History of Magic. The moment she overheard him saying to his parents to be nice to her, because she was important to him. The way he made her feel like she was herself and that she didn't have to be selling this idea of the perfect couple like she had felt many times with Michael. The way he made her feel when he said he would choose her in a minute. Over Sam… She couldn't break them up. Sam truly was pure gold. She really did deserve Scorpius.

"What about Sam?" Rose asked.

Scorpius looked down at the ground, "She is not you."

It was silent for a few seconds before he continued. "I really love Sam, I do. But she's too sweet for me. I have known for a while now. Don't get me wrong, I like myself when I'm with her, but I can walk over her as soon as I want to. You will never allow that to happen. You make me push myself harder than I thought I could, she supports me, but doesn't make me push myself. Sam is the most wonderful girl, but she's not for me. You are for me."

"I-" Rose tried but couldn't find the words to reply. Scorpius looked into her eyes again and asked, "Do you love me, Rose?"

She nodded and said, "I do."

When he leaned down to press a kiss on her forehead, she pulled him close into a hug. They stood there for a while until Rose began to shiver.

"Rose, I can't kiss you properly until I have broken things off with Sam, it's the least she deserves."

Rose nodded. "I'll talk with Michael when I get home. Feel free to stop by whenever you are ready."

"Will do, love."

Scorpius smiled so broad that Rose had begun smiling as well.

"It's going to be explosive, isn't it? Our relationship?"

"I'm counting on it," Scorpius smirked.

Scorpius and Rose parted their ways but both knew that they just chose the path to their destiny.


	2. Wishes

**Wishes**

"Rose, are you alright?"

"Scorrrr, I'm perfect! Can't you see?" Rose twirled around making her dress dance around her, but then almost crashed into one rack of Scorpius' grandfather's extensive wine collection.

"Okay, why don't you go take a seat here?" Scorpius guided her to the only couch in the wine cellar.

"Are you sober enough for a talk? Or shouldn't I even bother?"

"No! I'm sober enough to talk! But I do have one question," Rose said while laying her head on the armrest.

"Wh-" Scorpius started.

"Why are we down here? This place gives me the creeps."

"I wanted to make sure that we weren't bothered."

"Ooh! What _are_ you going to do to me, Scorpius?" Rose asked and then smirked at him.

"Nothing like that, I just wanted to get something off my chest."

This caught Rose's attention and she sat up straight while crossing her fingers. "Let it be your shirt, please let it be your shirt..." Rose moved her eyes over the white dress shirt that was too buttoned for her liking.

"What?!" Scorpius exclaimed and then roared with laughter. "Okay, I think we should talk later, let's go upstairs and get you home."

"No! You have to tell me! And after that take off your shirt."

Scorpius grinned at his drunk best friend and looked at her for a few seconds. "Alright, I just wanted to say that I don't trust that new guy your seeing, whatever his name is. I saw him creeping around your grandparents' house yesterday evening and…-"

"That's what you wanted to talk about?! Haha!" Rose could hardly sit straight while laughing so hard.

"Jeffrey? I dumped him yesterday! I saw him going into grandpa's study, which is always off-limits to anyone new in the Weasley-Potter family. So I gave him the boot. He was only sorry he got caught. So I'm completely fine with it. I didn't even like him to begin with," she added.

"Why would you bring someone you don't even like?" Scorpius asked incredulous yet waited in full anticipation how Rose's brain had concocted that.

"I wanted someone to distract me from you. You keep on having this effect on me that I need to be near you. I GOT IT! You are my magnet! That's it! Golly, I'm so glad I figured that out, it's been rattling my brain for months! You, Scorpius Malfoy, are my magnet!"

Scorpius couldn't keep the smile off of his face, listening to Rose saying what she felt. "Let's go magnet, I'll let you crash in my bed for tonight and then tomorrow we can have a heart-to-heart."

"Will you take your shirt off then?"

"Only if you buy me dinner first," Scorpius said smiling and pulling Rose up from the couch.

"Deal!" Rose said smiling in anticipation of tomorrow.


	3. Bedroom Floor

**Bedroom Floor**

When I stepped out of the fireplace with my wand in my hand, I see two feet bangling in the sky. My eyes fell on a red haired girl with a big bush of frizzy curls and bright hazel brown eyes who was lying half over my couch. Her legs were pointing up at the ceiling, her back was on the seat cushion and her head nearly touched the floor. Apparently she hadn't heard me come in, so I put my bag next to the fireplace and walked over to her.

"Hey! Red! Yeah you!"

Upside down she looked surprised at me, not even having the decency to act ashamed for just entering my apartment.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her incredulous while trying hard to ignore the clenched feeling around my heart.

Her big hazel brown eyes immediately radiated fierceness, and hurriedly she moved to sit up straight.

"What the hell is your problem?" she asked after her nostrils moved just a little bit outward.

My eyes moved over her clothing and when I noticed how loose they were around her body, I suddenly recognized the grey sweater and sweatpants. I realized why they looked familiar, they looked familiar because they were mine.

"Why are you wearing my clothes?" I asked her, trying to pull my sweater off of her. She immediately jerked backward, out of my reach and put her arms around herself. Her voice suddenly sounded deeper than I'd expected, "I was cold."

I sighed deeply and pinched my nose bridge to keep myself from blurting something out.

"You were the one who said it was over, Rose."

"We we're casual, Scorpius," she said, her tone clouded now.

"We weren't. You know I never wanted us to be casual. I haven't made it a secret that I wanted to date you."

"Just to me…" she grumbled softly.

"Excuse me?!"

"No one knew about us!" she hissed.

"Not because I didn't want anyone to know! You were the one who told me to keep this a secret. You _begged_ me not to tell anyone because you weren't ready yet. You begged me, Rose! What was I supposed to do? Not respect your wishes? I wanted to tell Albus, Liam and Winona so bad, but I didn't because I did it for you!"

"You could've just told them. Because you didn't exactly go against me when I said I wanted to keep it a secret."

"Is that what this is all about? Me giving in when you were begging me?" I groaned, feeling so frustrated that I almost wanted to slap myself on the forehead.

Looking at her, I expected an answer but she remained silent, just looking at me with her big hazel brown eyes. I waited patiently for about a minute and then it was enough, my anger level rose to boiling point and I had enough of her mind games.

"Get out."

"W-what?" she stuttered, her eyes now wide in surprise.

"Get out and don't come back. You can't keep coming here, playing with me, with my heart, every time you feel lonely. So get out, don't come back. Keep the clothes, I'll buy a new set."

My finger that pointed to the fireplace was shaking in anger, and I guessed she must've realized it too because she walked over to the fireplace, but before stepping in, she turned around.

"Wait-" she started.

But I didn't leave her any choice, I shook my head and stopped her before she could say another word. "No. Get out, don't come back. Like you said, it's over." I handed her the jar of Floo powder and hesitantly she grabbed a small handful.

I saw the tears starting to well up in her eyes but I forced myself not to break in front of her. She had messed with my heart more than once and I wasn't going to tolerate it a next time.

"Scorpi-"

"GET OUT!" I roared.

When the green flames took her away, I suddenly noticed I had been holding my breath for a while, and I started breathing loud. My heart beat in my throat and I shook my head firmly, as if to shake off all the things that just happened.

I grabbed my wand, which I hand put on the coffee table without remembering so, and pointed it at the fireplace, closing it off for everyone.

I walked to my bedroom, wanting to put on some relax pants when I suddenly noticed a pair of high heels, and a dress and a clutch, lying on my bedroom floor. Gasping for breath, I tried to ignore it, and when I realized again that she'd taken my finest pair of relax pants, I was done. Accioing my bag in my hand, I focussed on the place I wanted to go and apparated to my room at my parent's house, Malfoy manor.

* * *

**Malfoy manor**

"Scorpius? What are you doing here? I didn't expect you home before the 29th!" said my mother, who appeared in the door opening of my room. She walked over to me and opened her arms to hug me, but when she got closer, her arms dropped to her sides. Her eyes were frantically searching mine for clues but I looked away. I couldn't talk about it right now, it ached too much.

"What has happened? What is the matter? Is someone injured?" her voice hinted just a little bit of panic.

I shook my head and opened my closet, to find my second-favourite pair of sweatpants right in front of me. But just when I wanted to extend my hand to it, it reminded me of her, dressed in my clothes, it reminded me of her dressed in my school robes, of her sitting next to me in the library at Hogwarts, of her surprising me at work in my office, pushing me to take the day off, for she wanted to go to Paris because it had snowed there, it reminded me of her waking up next to me, of her.

"Scorpius! Stop that at once!" my mother shrieked and when I blinked to see what I was doing, I smelled the fire of burning pants.

I put it out quickly and when a house elf popped up next to my mother and disappeared the same second, I looked at her in surprise.

"Why are you setting fire to your robes, Scorpius?"

My father who was now standing in the door opening didn't look angry, just intrigued.

"Look, I didn't come here to talk about it. I came here because-" my voice broke.

"You needed to hide," my father said almost instantly, nodding once.

"No! I just, can't be at my apartment for a while."

"Because you broke up with her?" my mother asked, her voice bright and clear.

"What? Broke up with who?"

"Well, I don't know, you tell me. Is it that Longbottom girl with the gorgeous dark hair?" my mother wondered.

"You mean Winona? No, we're just really good friends. And besides, who said it was a girl, or a break up for that matter?" I blurted out, to divert the conversation away from that topic.

My father coughed once, as if to hide his amused laugh.

"Scorpius, I can't remember you ever setting you robes on fire while deep in thought. When you are angry you mostly start to punch the oak tree in the garden with your bare fists." My eyes moved to the scars on my hands. "And since you are not doing that, you are more hurt than angry. And if someone was in physical danger or dead, you would have send us a message, staying with the injured person instead of showing up here. I doubt it had something to do with your work, I heard that you were up for promotion, so girl it is," my father explained with so many words I never heard him say in a row, except for telling stories.

"And why can't it be a guy?" I asked persistent, hoping they would take the bait.

"I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer," my father stated dryly, his lips curled in amusement.

"We all know that you are not gay, Scorpius," my mother stated.

"And I said that I don't want to talk about it," I huffed again and sent my parents a hand motion to the door while letting myself fall onto my bed.

My mother walked over to me, placing her warm hand on my shoulder and left the room. My father stepped to the door as if he was to leave, but instead he closed the door behind my mother and walked over to me.

"What did or didn't you do?" my father asked in a business-like tone.

"I told you I don't want to talk about it," I said, turning away from my father.

"Scorpius, if you care this much, you must try and make it up as soon as possible. What did you do?"

My father sat down on the edge of my bed, and since he'd only done that once, to tell me that my grandmother, my mother's mother had passed away, I knew he wasn't going to leave soon.

Sighing deeply, in defeat, I closed my eyes as if to gather my strength for a second before sitting up straight.

"She begged me to keep it a secret. I told her that I at least wanted to tell Albus, Liam and Winona. But she begged me and begged me not to tell anyone, because she wasn't ready for anyone to know yet. Six days later, she comes over to tell me that we are over and that we've never been more than a casual fling. That was one-and-a-half weeks ago mind you, and then today when I arrive home late from work, she is hanging over my couch! Acting as if we are friends all of a sudden. So I told her to get out. She'd been playing with my heart since my fifth year of Hogwarts and I wasn't going to let it happen for the thousandth time."

My father nodded more to himself than to me before asking, "And how long have you been dating?"

"Well, we had a casual secret fling by the end of Hogwarts, then we had an intermezzo of like six years and then we started dating."

"So in the full past year you have been dating you never told anyone about her? Not even Potter, Zabini or Longbottom?" my father asked, his tone now incredulous.

"Because she asked me not to! I invited her to have dinner with you for a thousand times! Or offer to join her with her family."

Then, my father sighed audibly. Whatever I had expected him to say, I wasn't expecting this. "Have you thought of the fact that she might be extremely hesitant to introduce you to her family?"

"Wait. What?" I stuttered astonished.

"Well, we all know the history I have with the Weasleys and the Potters. I know you have been to their family gatherings a handful of times, as a friend of Albus Potter, but did you ever feel unwelcome?"

"How do you know it is someone from the Weasley or Potter family?" I asked, completely surprised.

"I know that we are talking about Rose Weasley, son. But that is not the point, did you ever feel unwelcome there?"

I blinked. How could he know?

"Well, not all of them were exceptionally nice, but Harry Potter is always very kind to me."

"Okay and what about Ronald Weasley?" my father pushed.

I tried to remind my interaction with Mr. Weasley but now I thought of it, I never had a communication with him ever before.

"I don't think I've ever spoken a word to him. Not for the lack of trying to search him, though," I added.

"And why would that be?" my father sounded like the questions were automatic now.

Silence.

"Because he doesn't like me."

"Indeed. So what is the reason she wanted to keep your relationship a secret?"

"Because she's ashamed of me," I answered, my head hanging now.

"Au contraire. Because she loves you and she wants to protect you."

"Dad, she said it was over! She broke up with me!" I reminded him instantly.

"Yes, and she expected you to confess your love for her and tell her that you would never leave her."

"That doesn't even make sense!" I almost yelled.

"No, that is correct, but that is the way it is. So what are you going to do now?" my father asked me, his voice pressing, as if my path should be clear now. Although I knew it had something to do with making a big gesture and apologize to her, for doing nothing wrong.

"I'm going to burn her clothes, heels and clutch she left on my bedroom floor?" I offered.

"She left her clothes at your apartment?" my father asked utterly surprised by this fact. "That is proof that she wants you to come chase her! So go! Chase her! Tell her you love her and don't mind that her father doesn't like you. Promise her you will have the rest of your life with her to try and make her father like you. Because you aren't going anywhere."

"Where do you come up with this psycho-babble?" I asked my father, beginning to see him in a completely different light.

"Don't ask, you don't want to know the answer," my father replied, his voice suddenly sounded deep and the amusement had left his face.

"O-kay…"

"Son?" my father asked quietly.

"Yes?" I asked in response, moving a little deeper into my pillow.

"Go find her!" he yelled so loud that my ears started ringing.

"Okay! Relax. I'll go and find her, you don't have to yell!" I shouted back.

I grabbed my wand and thought of the three D's. Destination, determination, deliberation. Destination, determination, deliberation. Destination, determination, deliberation. Destination, determination, deliberation.

**Rose's apartment**

"Scorpius! What are you doing here?!" Rose asked so quickly that I needed to blink once to see my surroundings. She was still wearing my clothes and she had a book on her lap and tea next to her on the table. Her hair was even bushier now and her make-up had run a little, creating dark circles around her astonishing blue eyes. I felt more than a little guilty because I knew I was the reason.

"I have come here to tell you that I love you," I started.

"Ha!" a humourless laugh sounded. "I already told you that it was over. And to quote you: GET OUT!" she yelled, but it lacked conviction.

"No, we aren't over. Because your clothes say different on my bedroom floor."

"Excuse me?!"

"You said it was over, right?" I asked her.

"Yes, it still is. We'll never be together again."

"That's cute. No. I know I should have told you that I was always going to be with you when you broke up with me. I know I should have showed you how much I loved you, and told you that if your father doesn't like me, I have the rest of my life with you to make him like me. And that it is hurting you that he doesn't want to see me. Because I think that is the main reason?" I asked.

Her face suddenly stood shocked. She opened her mouth and closed it immediately after.

"If you know this, why didn't you do something before?" she asked judging, her voice sounding so angry that I knew I was in a dangerous place right now.

"Because I only realized a few minutes ago. I came almost as soon as I knew."

She raised her eyebrows, as if doubting the sincerity of my words, but then her face relaxed just a little.

"You're an idiot," her voice was sharp but her eyes were softening.

"I know. I'm sorry."

"But I also know that you love me, for real. And… you know I can't keep pretending not to love you. I love that your ambition outshines anyone else's; I love that you want to do the right thing, no matter where you are. And I love that you love me, it makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Your eyes do too."

I walked over to her, placing my hands slowly around her. "So are you ready to tell your father?" I wondered, while pressing a kiss against her neck.

"Hahaha! Are you kidding me?" true joy sounded through her laugh, and I almost felt like I had completely misread the situation.

"No. What?" I asked.

Her gorgeous hazel brown eyes now found mine, and I could see that she suddenly got serious.

"Oh, you were serious?"

"Uhm, yes," I replied.

"Oh, well uh, we have to get him drunk first, because his aim gets worse when he's drunk. That's safer."

I gulped.

Then, a smile played around her lips and she pressed a kiss on my cheek.

"No worries, I'll protect you."

"You better!" I replied, pressing my lips against hers.


	4. Rose's Wedding

**Rose's Wedding**

Scorpius

The wedding venue just outside West-London was perfect, just like she wanted it to be. The Isleworth Castle was the only castle of Isleworth, a village near the Richmond where Rose and Mark lived together.

The wedding venue was in a private part of Redlees Park, owned by Mr. Redlee and his wife. The couple had made some alterations to the old castle, placing large windows and small light brown framework and so making the castle was light and open.

The Isleworth Castle didn't do its name justice, since it was more of a large manor than an actual castle, but it was cosy and open at the same time, giving the guests a wonderful view of the nature surrounding it. I stood at the entrance of the Altar Room and looked inside. The high white ceilings were supported by firm wooden beams that went well with the brick background and the same-coloured window frames. At first I was surprised about the bricks, but because of the warm, beige and light brown colours of the brick, it actually seemed really warm.

The chairs were white and were decorated with many lights, contrasting sharply to the brown-wooden floor. Above the aisle to the altar hung three chandeliers, the size of the Quidditch holes in a Quidditch field, lighting up the whole room. There were only 12 rows of 6 chairs, 3 on the left of the aisle and 3 on the right. I knew that she wanted to keep the wedding small, with not too many people, to save her father some money.

I had counted all the chairs out of occupational distraction, and I'd decided to sit all in the back. So that I could hide behind the other people and so not be able to see all of it happening. Because I couldn't be here and watch it actually happening, without leaving. I really couldn't and I promised her I'd come. I felt like I'd reached an impasse.

I walked passed al the relatives and a few unfamiliar people and was glad that Albus, the best man, wasn't here yet, because he'd probably be trying to talk me into sitting in the front. While straightening my black robes and black tie, I walked to the last row of chairs on the left side and sat down so that all the people who were still standing, wouldn't look at me. I took another shot of firewhiskey, straight out the flask and sat back in my chair, making sure to hide.

When the reverend, the one Mark insisted on using instead of Rose's grandfather, walked to the altar, to gesture everyone to sit down and Mark to stand up, I suddenly noticed. I could see it only now that she's got it all planned out with Mark. Seeing her future with him in every picture. And realization suddenly struck me; I couldn't watch this. I couldn't be here. I wasn't able to be here, seeing her been given away to another man, forever. A huge wave of nausea struck me and I actually felt my stomach turned around. I had vaguely seen a few people hurrying to sit down at the last moment and looked from the aisle, where Mark was standing, to the back at the entrance.

Trying to keep the tears that had suddenly formed in my eyes from falling down, I knew only one thing. I had to go.

I _needed_ to go.

Now.

The first bridesmaid walked forward, arm-in-arm with a friend of Mark, and with tears in my eyes I got the hell out of there. On my way out I passed Albus, with Genevieve on his arm, whose face said it all in that millisecond he saw me.

But I couldn't stop anymore. It was like I couldn't even feel my legs moving, like they weren't mine.

* * *

When I was finally calm enough to apparate, I didn't feel good enough to go to my and Albus' apartment, not being able to vouch for my own sanity. And I certainly didn't want to go to my parents. Mum would hug me and cry for me, and dad would be awkward and give me one of his advices that didn't help at all. So instead I went to the Green Irishman, an Irish pub in London where Rose and I'd often met up. As soon as I entered, or stormed in, I walked up to our usual table in the far back, saw that it was empty and let myself fall onto our couch. While I brushed my tears off my cheeks, I took the flask out of my inner pocket, opened it and downed the rest of the firewhiskey in one gulp.

My throat felt like it was literally on fire, and I was sort of glad, to be able to feel anything at all beside the nausea and pain in my heart. Slowly, the feeling in my legs returned and I put the empty flask back in my inner pocket.

After calming my breathing for a few minutes, I was able to take in my surroundings. The whole pub was empty except for the first few tables in the front, the ones I'd stormed passed.

I looked down at the watch my father had given me when I graduated from Hogwarts, and it said Friday which meant that Chad, one of the younger bartenders and Wylie, the owner of the pub were both on bar duty.

And knowing Chad it would probably take him three and a half minutes before getting to my table. And right on cue, Chad walked up the table I was sitting at and smiled his toothy smile at me.

"Scorpius, welcome back. You sure look fancy today, ey mate? Are you meeting Rose again?" Chad asked.

I nearly choked on my own tongue and coughed immediately after. Of course Chad wouldn't have remembered about Rose's wedding, so I plainly shook my head and offered him an apologizing smile. Wylie on the other hand, was more likely to remember it, and I was glad that Chad had come up to me so I didn't have to explain anything.

"No, I'm afraid not."

"Too bad then, ey? So, can I get ya anything?" Chad asked, taking out his notepad with attached pen.

"Yes, I'll have a…"

I thought about all my options, but I felt so incredibly weak on the inside, that there was only one solution, hot chocolate.

* * *

_"It's easy, when someone feels down or weak, you give them hot chocolate with a lot of whipped cream! Chocolate makes people happy and warmth is comforting," Rose explained with twinkling in her bright blue eyes while pushing a hot chocolate with whipped cream towards me._

_"Okay, but why the whipped cream?" I asked while taking a bit of the whipped cream with my spoon._

_"Because whipped cream is sweet and tastes nice, silly," she replied laughing, dropping all the whipped cream on top of my whipped cream on top of my hot chocolate so that it overflowed with whipped cream. My whole cup was covered in whipped cream and I couldn't keep the smile off my face._

_"Hey! You are making a mess, Miss Red!" I said stern, giving her an amused look._

_"See? You're already smiling. Whipped cream helps!"_

_I gave her a small push on her shoulder and shook my head at her laughing._

_"You're crazy," I said to her, now smiling broadly._

_"That's why you love me," she said, looking defiant followed by taking a sip of her hot chocolate._

_In lack of a better response, I said the first thing that came to mind._

_"That, I do!" I said jokingly, but deep down that couldn't be more true, I felt my neck get hot._

_Suddenly, Rose was rendered speechless, hiding behind her enormous bush of red frizzy curls and mumbled something._

_"What?" I asked softly._

_She didn't respond and stared at her hot chocolate, now frozen in one place._

_I bumped her shoulder with mine and asked, "Rose?"_

_"N-nothing," she hastily replied._

* * *

"Scorpius, have you made a decision, or should I come back in a few minutes?" Chad said, pulling me out of my memory, tapping with his pen on the notepad in his hands.

"Uh, no, uh I mean yes. Yes, I have. I would like a hot chocolate with a lot of whipped cream and a grilled cheese sandwich," I said to Chad while my stomach startled to rumble.

"You got it. Say, are you sure you're okay? You kinda rushed in 'ere, your eyes are red and you're way too fancy dressed to be sittin' here alone, right?" Chad said more than he asked.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking though," I answered quickly, not wanting to explain.

"No problem, I'll be right back."

Chad turned around and tore the paper off to bring to the kitchen.

Now I had finally time to calm down and look around. I exhaled loudly and relaxed my shoulders.

How far would the wedding be now? Would they already be married? Did Rose miss me already? I shook my head at myself, like trying to shake the questions out of my head and think of something else.

Suddenly my mind flies to the first memory I have of meeting her.

* * *

_The door of the train compartment opened and I looked up, trying to hide my nervousness._

_In the door opening stood a really pretty girl and I guessed she was a Weasley. Dad had told me to be myself and see y myself who would become my friends, though I wasn't sure if he liked the Weasleys and Potters much._

_"Hi, I'm Rose Weasley and you are Scorpius Malfoy," she stated, her bright blue eyes moving over me._

_"Yes," I said, swallowing once._

_"Let me start with what I want to say. My parents think we are going to hate each other and continue the family feud. But I don't have time for that. I want to get good grades and I'm not going to let anything get in the way of that. So I won't continue our family's feud."_

_I was impressed, from the first second._

_"Oh, well I'm glad. Would you like to join me in the compartment?" I suggested, pointing to the empty space next and in front of me._

_"Thanks. So which house are you going to be in?" she asked while sitting down opposite of me._

_I decided to be honest, since she'd been that from the first second and gave her a shrug._

_"Slytherin, I guess."_

_She nodded, thinking. I would have expected the Weasley and Potter kids to dislike Slytherin, but instead she took me completely by surprise._

_"Slytherin is good. I hope to be in Slytherin or Ravenclaw. I admire ambition, something Slytherins have but with that I admire intelligence, which is obviously Ravenclaw."_

_"Well it would already be nice to know someone in Slytherin," I said, offering her a small smile._

_"I agree! And my cousin Albus is probably going to be in Slytherin too. We could maybe sit next to each other?" she suggested._

_"Cool-"_

_"So, what is your favourite animal?" she asked before I could say more._

_Now, a true smile appeared on my lips. I liked this no-nonsense girl. Then the compartment door opened again and I saw a raven-haired boy with green eyes._

_"Oh, hey, Albus!"_

* * *

"Scorpius?" now the low voice of Wylie took my out of my memory.

Wylie had apparently sat down at the only chair that stood at this table and looked at me incisively. I hoped that he wouldn't remember Rose's wedding today and so I quickly asked him how he was doing. "Wylie! How are you?"

This caused the old man to frown and furrow his thick grey eyebrows, as if he was confused about me asking.

"I'm doing fine, son. I heard from Chad that you were a little _odd_ today."

"A little odd?" I asked. In my mind I cursed Chad for telling Wylie but instead I smiled at Wylie.

"Yes. And I can see he is right. I was saying your name for four times before you heard me."

"Oh, that odd. Yes, well I have a lot on my mind today. Nothing big though," I explained quickly, not looking him in the eye.

"Right."

His tone had called bullshit but he didn't mention it and silence followed.

It was awkward, Wylie sitting with me at the table, looking at me with only a few blinks.

"Soo, was there anything else?" I wondered, not trying to be unfriendly, but this was so weird.

"I don't know Scorpius. _You_ tell _me_," Wylie's voice sounded offended now and his face darkened.

I swallowed and tried not to think about the thing I was running away from.

"Nothing else, I just got here to grab a bite for lun-" Wylie's jaws shut closed and he ignored my words completely when he interrupted me, "-why aren't you at Rosie's wedding, Scorpius?"

I felt an immediate stab in my lungs and inhaled abruptly.

So he had remembered.

"Well?"

I didn't reply and looked at the wooden table in front of me, tracing the lines of the wood from one side to the other. My hands were suddenly felt very cold, but my eyes were burning.

She was going to marry Mark, or she already had. She was going to marry stupid perfect Mark, just like she wanted to, on her perfect wedding. So I'd lose her forever.

I had told myself that if I truly loved her, I'd let her marry him, being there by her side as her best friend, wanting her to be as happy as she could be with him.

But I couldn't I was too much in love with her, and I couldn't bear the thought of her being with another man. Not with Mark.

"Scorpius, you reek of some sort of whiskey, you are almost unable to get contact with, yet still you are dressed for her wedding; why are you here?" Wylie's voice still sounded judgmental.

The back of my throat started to get airy and cold so I had to close my jaws to prevent my lip from trembling. I tried to make it through today without crying, but I couldn't. Tears streamed down my face and I hid my face in my hands.

"Scorpius, talk to me," the old voice commanded.

I looked up at the blurry, because of the tears, face of Wylie.

"I want to be him. I want her to talk about me like she talks about him. I want to be in the story of her life. When she cries, I want to dry her tears, I want to make her smile, kiss her lips, laugh with her, live with her and live my life with her. But- but I want her to be happy. And I'm torn between being selfish and happy for her because I love her. And if she's happy with _Mark,_" I spit out his name before continuing, "then I shouldn't be in her way, right?" I asked so frustrated and confused that Wylie leaned back.

Silence.

Wylie looked like he was debating whether or not to say something, but then he furrowed his eyebrows again and sighed.

"Look, Scorpius. When you two first arrived here, I thought for sure that you two were together, or almost together. It was not after a few months of your regular visits I found out that you weren't together, that she already had a boyfriend."

My mouth stood agape. Wait. What?! I sent Wylie a shocked look.

"Look, son. I don't know what to tell you here. But I can tell you, that if you think she is truly happy with him, that you should let it go. Be happy for her. But if you doubt it, you should think about whether you are going to risk your, uhm, friendship, to tell her how you feel about it."

"I left her wedding just before it started. I'm doubting she'll want to be friends with me after the stunt I pulled."

Wylie patted my back without saying a word.

Then Chad walked up to the table, his hands filled with a hot chocolate with whipped cream and a grilled cheese sandwich.

"Here's your hot chocolate with whipped cream and grilled cheese sandwich. The rain's really coming down now," Chad said conversationally.

I saw Wylie roll his eyes at his bartender, who clearly didn't know what he was walking in on, but before Wylie could respond, a voice sounded, panting, "Make that two, Chad. And yes, the rain's really coming down."

I looked at her. Rose. Her wedding dress was soaking wet, her eyes twinkling and her smile as broad as I'd ever seen on her.

I jumped up from the couch and stormed around the table, hugging her tight in my arms. Tears streamed down both our faces, but we weren't crying, we were laughing.

"You are really here?!" I exclaimed, astonished.

"I am. I couldn't… I couldn't marry him. I- I- think his sad eyebrows and spoiled it for me," she said between laughs.

"He does have sad eyebrows, you really didn't notice before? Crazy girl," I said smiling lovingly, feeling my clothing get wet from her soaking dress, but I didn't care.

I wasn't going to let her go. Not anymore.

"That's why you love me."

"That, I do."

"And it's why I love you," she said, looking in my eyes with her glistening bright blue eyes.

"Me? Crazy?" I joked.

"Well, no sane person puts Armadillo bile with Jewelweed and not expect it to blow up. I still remember Professor Lawrence's look of horror when you said that you were brewing it for five minutes already," her voice was filled with so much joy and happiness that I couldn't imagine not loving her.

"And I still remember the second before it blew up in his face."

"Thank Godric, that that was first year. Though I'm not sure if I'm able to live with the fact that you got a higher grade on Potions in our NEWTs than I did."

"Hmm, we'll have to compromise then. You outsmarted me in Ancient Runes, Transfiguration, and oh, wait, all the other subjects," I said sarcastically.

The sound of her stomach grumbling disrupted our hugging and I let go, walking over to the couch, where Chad and Wylie were looking at us with big, flabbergasted eyes.

I'd forgotten they were muggles.

But Wylie cleared his throat and motioned Chad to move back to the bar.

"So, hot chocolate with whipped cream huh?" she asked, while grabbing my spoon to take some whipped cream.

"Yes, I heard it helps when people are feeling down."

"Must be a wise person you heard that from," she teased.

"You have no idea," I grinned while taking a bite from my grilled cheese sandwich.

"Share?" I pointed at my warm sandwich.

"Sure," her bright blue eyes twinkled once again, and in my heart I couldn't feel happier.

I was finally where I belonged. With her.

"So, what did Mark say?" I asked her after a few bites.

"Ha! I don't know actually. I ran away."

"Tell me," I said, leaning in and bumping my shoulder to hers.

"Well..."

* * *

Rose

As soon as dad and I entered the Aisle Room, I looked around, smiling at my dad and then everyone else in the room. I smiled at all my cousins, grandma, grandpa, mum, the bride maids on the left and the groomsmen on the right. Just when I wanted to look at the reverend and Mark at the altar, I heard whispering and people were looking at the entrance where I just got from. Was something the matter?

"-he just left-" "-who stormed out?" "-Scorpius, Scorpius Malfoy!-"

My heart beat in my throat and my eyes widened. I looked over the heads of others and searched for Scorpius. He was not in the right row.

I moved my eyes over the left row and I didn't see my favourite blondie anywhere. I made eye contact with Albus, who gulped now.

Then we arrived at the altar and I let go of Dad's hand and stepped closer to Albus. Asking him with my eyes where Scorpius was. Albus looked down quickly and then shook his head shortly. Panic rushed through my veins and I had forgotten my wedding completely. Did Scorpius leave my wedding?

"Al, where is he?" I whispered urgently, tears forming in my eyes now.

I felt all the eyes on me and in the background I heard Mark say something but I kept my eyes on Albus when I replied. "Just a second, Mark!" I hissed a little too loud.

"Al?" I asked him.

Albus eyes didn't want to meet mine, but when they did, I could feel his pity for me. I shook my head instantly.

"N-no. He wouldn't. He promised me he'd be here," I stuttered in disbelief, tears now dropping onto my cheeks and an ache burning in my heart.

"Rose, I'm sorry," Albus whispered, stepping forward now to hug me.

I put my arms around him and pressed him close against me. When I finally released Albus, I nodded and let him dry my tears.

The thought of not searching for Scorpius passed my mind. If I wasn't going to search for him, would our friendship be over? The breakfast dates, lunches and dinners? Would I lose him forever?

"Rose, everyone is waiting," I heard the soft whisper of Mark.

Then he whispered something else but I couldn't quite hear it. With a too heavy heart, I nodded again and turned around to face Mark. I looked at his worried face and was glad that he was at least worried for me. That he could understand.

I sent him a short smile and accepted to hold his hand. The reverend started his speech, the one I heard one too many times and I zoned out for a bit, looking at Mark's face. Mark was handsome and average looking at the same time. His dark hair was tightly combed backwards and while I looked at his hairline, my eyes fell on his eyebrows and I suddenly noticed that they were crooked. He had very downward facing eyebrows, like he was worried or sad all the time. Now that I thought of it, I couldn't really remember a time when I hadn't seen him with very sad eyebrows. I thought of prettier, normal eyebrows, and I was immediately remembered of Scorpius. The pain of the stab in my heart was decreased by the reverends words, sounding loud through the room.

"-to bind themselves together in the wonderful constitution that is marriage for the rest of their lives. Marriage, ideally, is-" the reverend continued.

For the rest of my life? I should look at those eyebrows for the rest of my life? But surely I could alter them a bit with my magic? But that would be a hard battle, Mark didn't like the fact that I was a witch and now that I thought of it, that was going to be a big problem. The magic is part of me and he didn't like it? How was that ever going to work?

Then I closed my legs closer together and noticed that I really needed to go to the bathroom but the reverend's words took me out of my zone.

"Do you, Mark Zenati, promise to honour and tenderly care for Rose Jean Weasley, cherish and encourage her, stand with her, through sorrows and joys, hardships and triumphs for all the days of your life?"

"I do," Mark said, sending me a broad smile.

I smiled back painfully because I couldn't stop thinking about his eyebrows. And Scorpius.

I wanted Scorpius to be here with me, to pull me through with his smile. The smile I missed right now.

The smile I loved.

More than Mark.

The reverend continued, "Do you, Rose Jean Weasley pledge to share your life openly with Mark and  
to speak the truth in love? And do you, Rose Jean Weasley promise to honour and tenderly care for Mark Zenati, cherish and encourage him, stand with him, through sorrows and joys, hardships and triumphs for all the days of your life?"

I felt everyone's eyes on me. I felt the pressure, to agree with being stuck with mister McSadbrows for the rest of my life.

My heart pounded in my throat and when Mark furrowed his eyebrows he looked so terribly worried, that I didn't know what to say. My heart ached, not because I had to leave Mark, but because it ached for him. For Scorpius.

So I ran. Hard.

I heard gasping and stammering behind me, but I ran as fast as I could in this dress. When I got outside I felt the rain pouring down on me, but I kept on running. I ran far enough to get a cab, because I didn't know where my wand was and when I suddenly heard footsteps behind me. I ran even faster, my lungs and heart now aching.

"Rose! Rose!" I recognized Albus' voice behind me.

I stopped and turned around. My eyes fell on the brick Isleworth Castle, where everyone was now looking at me through the large windows.

"You forgot your wand," Albus said panting, while handing me over my wand.

"Aren't you going to stop m-" I started when he interrupted me, "-of course not. Tell Scorp I said hi."

Tears welled up in my eyes and I felt a smile breaking onto my lips.

"Thanks Al. I love you."

"I love you too, Rose. I'll take care of it," he pressed a kiss against my cheek, "go find him."

I needn't be told twice.


	5. Third Time's A Charm

**Third Time's A Charm**

**Restaurant The Time Turner**

When the door opened and the stuttering waiter who held the door was relieved by the restaurant's host, all the eyes of the room moved to one place. They were all looking at the entrance of the room, where one of the most gorgeous witches of the British Wizarding World was standing, looking for her date. The eyes of the room moved over her body, starting with her hair. Her untamed curls that usually hid her face, were now tamed by at least a dozen spells, carefully cast at different places in her long, bright red coloured curls. Her hair was placed to one side over her shoulder, elegantly pinned with a single golden clip that had a modest, small ruby on it.

The hair clip matched with the bracelet a small golden bracelet with five rubies on it. Her earrings were simple black studs, but her face was a piece of art. Her brows stood defiant, as if she was ready to verbally fight anything or anyone whatever for. Her light eyelashes were painted black to visualize the length which was unseen if they weren't painted. The colour of her lipstick was a little darker than her own colour, drawing polite attention to them, but not screaming for a spotlight. Her hazel brown eyes flamed already, radiating just as much defiance as the brows were emitting. That combined with the relaxed loose shoulders, one would easily get the idea that this girl, or young witch, was very comfortable. Yet, for the ones who studied her closer, they might find out that the young witch in fact was nervous. Given away by the awkward smile, that could have been planted there on purpose, to not come over as arrogant, and also by the feet that were placed a little too close to each other. But that could also be explained by the tight black skirt she was wearing, not wanting to risk tripping over by taking to big steps. Still, for the ones who took a closer look, knew.

Her champagne coloured blouse was loose in comparison to the tight black skirt and seemed to complete the ensemble, making it not too sexy, but not too casual either. The black heels she was wearing were shining, and contrary to the expectations, not thin high heels, but a little firmer and lower than one would expect. Though, the heels were still almost four inches high. The clutch that was held by her ringless fingers of her right hand was also champagne coloured, matching with the blouse.

Everything about this young witch seemed to radiate control, but appearances may be deceiving. The young witch was not in control. She was forced to go on this date by her cousin Lucy. Lucy, and all her other cousins for that matter, went to Hogwarts. Every one of the Weasley family had gone to Hogwarts except for this young witch named Rose Weasley.

The reason for Rose Weasley not attending Hogwarts was simple, Rose had anger management issues and needed special training and support for emotion control. Beauxbatons Academy of Magic had special programs for girls with behavioural problems, Hogwarts did not. When Rose Weasley graduated from Beauxbatons, she was turned into a stunning young witch with much more control of her emotions, mostly.

Rose Weasley almost didn't go on this date, but after more of her cousins ganged up to push her to accept this setup, she felt the need to accept. But what really made her say yes, was her boss. Her boss, the Minister of the Department of International Magical Cooperation had asked more than a few times about her not existing love interests and it bugged Rose to a certain extent that she needed to fix it before it had a chance to become a bigger problem. Even to shush her boss of asking about her love life, she had gone on dates with awful guys and even a girl once but it hadn't helped. All of her previous dates had been with unattractive, dumb people who just liked to brag about dating her like a trophy, something that made Rose need all her training handles of her anger management training.

And it hadn't gotten better when Rose had said to her boss that she didn't want to stop working for a partner or become a trophy girlfriend/wife or whatever. Rose's job came first, always.

Her boss, who Rose respected deeply had laughed and said that she never let her personal relationship interfere with her work. Minister Susan Bones had married Neil Randall, a Gryffindor who loved her deeply, but the minister insisted to do her work under her maiden name, not wanting to let the personal situation interfere with her work, like the minister's mother had done.

So if Susan Bones could do it, why not Rose Weasley, daughter of the Smartest Witch of Her Age?

She couldn't refuse and finally agreed to go on a date with a wizard named Scorpius Malfoy.

Even her parents, two third of the Golden Trio had said that Scorpius Malfoy was a 'good kid' and a 'modest and smart boy who was ridiculously good in potions' Rose tried to remind her parents of the feud they had with his parents but neither had fallen in that trap. And since he was one of Albus' best friends, he came over to the Burrow often.

So here she stood, all nicely dressed, actually making an effort. When the restaurant's host guided her to the reserved table, under the Malfoy name, she sat down at an elegantly made table. The host had pulled out her chair and she had thanked him before he left again. Even though Rose always hated being late, and always prevented to be able to come late, she had allowed herself to arrive at the exact time of their date, 7 o' clock. To her surprise there was no one sitting at the table. Albus had assured her that he was always a gentleman, yet it seemed that the young wizard didn't care if he was late.

After two minutes the waiter had come by to ask if she already wanted something to drink. Rose had politely declined, not wanting to be rude and order ahead of her date arriving.

When minutes passed another waiter walked up to her table and asked if she wanted something to drink and again Rose declined, feeling the little anger in her gut growing.

Fifteen minutes later, Rose had enough. She stood up vigorously and took her clutch from the table. The host who had watched the table and young witch closely had hurriedly taken her coat to bring to her when she stormed out of the dining hall. At the entrance of the restaurant the host handed Rose the coat.

"Thank you," Rose muttered when she took the extended coat from the restaurant's host.

She was busy putting it on, ready to leave to the apparation point when the restaurant's host smiled a little sly. "Miss Weasley, one must be crazy to stand you up. And if I may say so, you look too beautiful not to enjoy an exquisite meal. The young wizard who reserved the table already paid for the table and the food, so please, stay."

"He already paid?" Rose repeated, one brow now risen high out of interest.

"Yes, Miss Weasley," the host answered.

"Alright… wait, what is your name?" Rose asked him interested.

"Jean-Paul," the host now responded with a widening sly smile. Rose Weasley now smiled back broadly, her eyes stood satisfied and her expression was smug.

"Very well, Jean-Paul, please make sure you give me the finest champagne and the most expensive dish on your menu. And feel free to tip yourself a hundred galleons. You are very good in your job, which deserves a reward" Rose said, patting his shoulder friendly and handing him the coat back after which she marched back into the dining room.

"As you wish, Miss Weasley."

Seven glasses of champagne, a dragon pate as starters, coquilles with vanilla sauce and caviar as main and three pieces of crème brulee as dessert later, Rose Weasley thanked all of the staff and rose to her feet and left with the rest of the second bottle of champagne.

When Scorpius Malfoy got the bill, he would most likely be very very angry, and that was just what Rose Weasley counted on while stepped into her apartment, smiling broadly. She turned on the fireplace and picked up her favourite book. Even with the slight buzz from the alcohol she rose her wand to the fireplace and locked it for incoming floo calls or travellers. She had a wonderful evening.

* * *

**St. Mungo's**

"Next time tell me beforehand, Thomas," Scorpius Malfoy warned the emergency healer on duty in St. Mungo's.

"You're a peach, Malfoy," Hunter Thomas replied smiling while walking back to emergency room three.

When Malfoy removed the sweat from his forehead, he headed back down to the potions laboratory. As soon as he entered, Charisse Benson looked up surprised.

"Wow, I didn't expect you back so soon, was your date so bad? I thought Potter had said that all guys wanted to date his cousin. He was lying then?"

There was only one thing going through his mind. Shit, the date.

His eyes quickly moved to the huge clock in the laboratory and saw that it was nearly ten in the evening.

His colleague, Charisse had apparently figured out what had happened.

"Don't tell me you forgot?!" she demanded.

"The emergency Potioneer on duty didn't know what to do, and then the emergency healer on duty called for me. Someone was on the verge of dying and as soon as I had a blood sample I had to brew a mixed poison dissolver without using a bezoar because the patient in question was allergic to anything goat," Scorpius Malfoy explained hastily.

"I don't know if you know Scorpius, but if you stand someone up, especially someone of one of the most important families in the wizarding world, they are not happy. And I know you are friends with the Potters but that makes it even worse! There are even articles about Rose Weasley not wanting to date because she distrusts people in general. You have officially destroyed hope for the female body of the wizarding world to meet a nice, respectable guy who IS ON TIME!" Charisse exclaimed with a smile, yet Scorpius knew there was more truth in her words than he had wished.

Gulping, Scorpius got his coat and pursed his lips together. He was going to apologize for eternity to Albus, and Lucy...

* * *

**Albus' Apartment**

When Scorpius stepped out of Albus' fireplace, Albus sat up straight on the couch and put away a Quidditch magazine. Scorpius looked like he was debating about something and to Albus' surprise, Scorpius didn't look happy. Maybe the date didn't go well? Albus really thought they'd be perfect for each other. Still, it was three hours after the time they'd met, so they didn't leave immediately after the dinner.

"Scorp, what are you doing here? Didn't you have a good time?" Albus asked his best friend, who simply looked miserable. Scorpius mindlessly scratched the back of his neck, not looking at Albus at all.

"Well, I uhh…"

"Yes?"

"I have to confess something, but you have to promise to help me instead of getting angry. I had a good reason."

This caused Albus to raise his brows high in anticipation of what was coming. Scorpius raised his own brows as if to ask for a confirmation, to which Albus nodded.

"I might have pissed off Rose…" Scorpius stuttered.

"Ha! That was not unexpected, but I did warn you about her anger management issues. Did she hit you?" Albus wondered amused.

"Not exactly."

Scorpius face now betrayed much more and now Albus caught the severity of Scorpius crimes.

"What did you do? Did you insult the French? Did you show up late? Did you mock her red hair?"

Albus had seen Scorpius' face pull at his third question. Albus opened his mouth in shock and then shook his head.

"I told you three things about Rose; don't insult the French, don't insult anything that has something to do with the Weasley family and don't don't…"

"-…be late," Scorpius finished with his head hanging.

"How much time?" Albus now asked a little bit worried, moving his eyes over Scorpius' body to check for physical harm.

Scorpius swallowed uncomfortably.

"Three hours."

Albus understood immediately, Scorpius hadn't shown up at all.

"WHAT?!"

"Yeah."

"H-how?" Albus stuttered in utter shock.

"I forgot. There was a severe poisoning and the Potioneer on emergency duty wasn't qualified, so I had to step in. I just forgot the time. I am really sorry," Scorpius replied honestly.

Albus calculated his sincerity and apparently believed Scorpius, still it could be the tiredness that made Scorpius seem so sincere, but Albus believed him.

Scorpius had learned the hard way not to go against Lucy Weasley. For some reason Lucy Weasley knew things, it wasn't like being a Seer but she knew things and if she warned you or told you to do something, you would do it. And when Lucy had sent him an owl to go on a date with her cousin Rose, Scorpius had politely declined, not knowing it was anything more than a suggestion. But when she arrived the next morning in his bedroom, with angry eyes and told him he had to go on a date with her, because he _needed to_. Scorpius immediately apologized and nodded, being wide awake suddenly. He needed to go on a date with Rose, because he didn't want to face the consequences if he didn't. A small shudder ran over Scorpius' spine, remembering the last time he hadn't listened to Lucy's 'urgent suggestions' and he hastily turned to Albus.

"So what is the plan now?" Scorpius asked quickly.

"You are going to stay away from Rose for the next few days. Until she had her revenge. Then, you can send her an apology and I'll set up a new date."

"Revenge?" Scorpius wondered.

Then, a house elf appeared between Albus and Scorpius. The house elf worked for the Malfoy family and it bowed to both of the young wizards in the room.

"Master Scorpius and Mister Albus. Sorry to bother you Master, but Squeaky has a message from Gringotts."

Scorpius furrowed his brows in confusion.

"That is weird- Squeaky, what is the message?" Scorpius asked the house elf.

The house elf obviously felt uncomfortable and a little afraid for he stepped four steps back and bowed again.

Scorpius, who still hated his grandfather for scarring the house elves forever, waited patiently.

"Master, Time Turner restaurant sent bill from tonight."

The house elf shuddered visibly now, and bowed even deeper, not daring to look at his 'Master'.

"They sent me a bill? I didn't even buy…"

Then realization hit the two young wizards at the same time.

"S-she wouldn't," Scorpius uttered astonished.

"She would," Albus responded, grinning sly.

It took Albus one second before he started laughing uncontrollably. "How much, Squeaky?" Albus pushed between laughs and clapping his hand on the couch out of pure humour.

"742 galleons, Mister Albus."

Scorpius choked on a bit of air and started coughing. "You have got to be kidding me."

"No way, mate. That has Rose written all over it," Albus explained with a red face and tears streaming down his cheeks from laughter.

Squeaky excused himself and Scorpius had taken a butterbeer from Albus' stock. After a few minutes Albus was back to his normal state and he took a butterbeer as well. But even after the few minutes Scorpius still looked miserable.

"I didn't know the money was such a problem…" Albus started.

"It isn't- I just don't like using my grandparent's money. I only want to use what my parents made or what I had earned myself. I don't want blood money," Scorpius replied bitter.

Albus studied Scorpius' face and suddenly felt sorry for him. He gave Scorpius' shoulder a hard clap and stood up from the couch. "Look, I'll talk to Rose."

* * *

**Second date**

The second date had been a flop too. Just as Rose was about to leave her apartment to go to the date, her mother's patronus appeared in her apartment. The otter with her mother's voice hurriedly said that Rose and Hugo had to go to St. Mungo's because their father had been hit in an attack in Auror business, pulling uncle Harry out of the way just in time. She'd left the same second and never thought of the date again.

Scorpius, who had been waiting patiently at the entrance of the Scamander Magical Zoo in the middle of Cairngorms National Park, Scotland, looked at his watch. When she'd been late for half an hour, he decided to enter the park himself, not wanting to spoil his trip all the way here.

After the incident with Professor Sprout he had never doubted Lucy's suggestions again. And the ridiculous part of the incident was that the other Potter's and Weasley's had warned him, that if he didn't listen to Lucy's urgent suggestions, he would be sorry later. Scorpius thought this was one of their pranks they pulled on non-family members, but he very soon found out that she actually tried to help him. In that same year he still had to get straight O's to make up for the T grade Professor Sprout had given him for 'the accident'. Not to mention the detention that lasted a full month.

But now, while Scorpius was walking the through the Scamander Magical Zoo, he started to doubt Lucy's gift.

He'd never met Rose, not even once on a family party at the Burrow and he started to feel like maybe he wasn't meant to meet her. Scorpius forgetting the first date, Rose not showing up for the second date…

His eyes fell on two three-headed dogs and their pups, walking around in a garden-like setting. Two pups were play-fighting and with all the heads it was confusing to see which head belonged to which pup.

Walking further he came across an Augurey shelter, birds that had intrigued Scorpius since he was a little boy. It was only a small surprise when his patronus turned out to be an Augurey. He never heard of someone else also having the Augurey as patronus, but his mother had guaranteed him that it didn't matter if he was dating someone who didn't have the same patronus. His father was never able to produce his full patronus until Scorpius was born, and his mother's was a badger. Even though they didn't have the same patronus, they were still very happy together.

Shrugging the thoughts off of him, Scorpius walked to the sign of the shelter and read the information.

WARNING: Conditions in habitat are magically altered. Any spell casting at or in the habitat is prohibited and will result in full prosecution of the law.

_The Irish Phoenix who is also called the Augurey, is a greenish looking bird with darker (black) feathers on the bottom. It's vulture-like appearance and sharp beak made the common wizard afraid of them, thereby the common wizard believed that the Augurey mournfully cried when one was about to die, like a foretold death. This caused many wizards to avoid the Augurey until a wizard named Gulliver Pokeby found out that the Augurey only cried when it was about to rain. Since then, 1824, Augureys were used as weather forecasters. Their diet usually consisted of insects, flies and an occasional fairy, only hunting them in the rain. Because the Augureys are known to be incredibly shy, they live in a tear-shaped nest, made of thorn and brambles to keep unwanted visitors out. They will only share their nest with their one true love because Augureys are, like swans and black vultures, deeply serious about their chosen mates. It is commonly known that swans mate for life and can actually die of heartbreak if their mate dies. This also applies to Augureys._

The tear-shaped nests indeed contained a sad looking bird that was nestled deep into its cocoon-like nest. Then it made a deafening sound and he suddenly understood why they called it the mournful cry, Scorpius felt this cry all the way down to his core.

A few minutes later, rain started to poor from the sky and the three-headed dogs quickly hid in their 'dog house' that was large enough to fit at least five of those huge monstrosities the zoo called dogs.

* * *

**St. Mungo's**

"Rose, contact your grandfather, send him a patronus and tell him to come here immediately with your grandmother. Quickly!" Hermione urged her daughter while brushing the tears off her cheeks.

They stood outside the room, where three healers were working fast, pointing their wands at Ron's body that was not responding.

Rose drew out her wand, closed her eyes to think of her happiest memory and pointed her wand into the hallway.

"_Expecto Patronum_."

A huge, Irish Phoenix flew out her wand and she ordered her patronus to warn her grandparents quickly. The patronus flew off quickly, disappearing into thin air.

It took her grandparents only three minutes to arrive, but time seemed to have frozen. Rose just stood there, looking into the room where her father was being treated for whatever was wrong with him. Then, a hand wrestled into hers. Hugo had taken her hand after polishing his own angry tears away from his cheeks. Hermione had placed her hand against the glass and sniffed a little when her father- and mother-in-law came around the corner.

"What happened?" Molly's voice sounded so filled with worry Rose's heart nearly broke.

"I don't know. Apparently Ron pulled Harry out of the way of crossfire and then Harry apparated them here and fainted. They have tried to revive him but he is magically drained, so he will not be able to wake up soon enough."

They all stood there in silence when the sound of running footsteps got louder.

"Out of the way!" a small man dressed in auror robes yelled and everybody moved out of the way.

He ran into the room where Ron Weasley was being treated. The man pointed his strikingly short wand at the auror in the bed.

The healers responded shocked to an unauthorized person in the room but the man was too fast. He had pointed his wand and shouted so loud, the family outside the room heard.

"_Spiritum Amovere_!"

A *BANG* that sounded so loud filled the whole area around them and everyone was backwards from the blast of the spell. The glass tinkled but it held, apparently hospital rooms were able to withstand a small explosion. An intense white light, bright enough to blind people, arose from the body of Ron Weasley.

"Seize him!" a healer who now had blood streaming down his forehead shouted towards the other healers, but one of them had become unconscious because the impact of the blast. But the small man in auror robes, who looked crazy now pointed his wand to the white light, with a movement that made it look like it was weighing 10000 pounds. The small man started sweating immediately and the hand he was holding his wand with, started shaking so heavily that he had to use his second hand to stabilize the heavy shaking.

Meanwhile the white light had broken out of Ron Weasley's body, Hermione Weasley suddenly knew what was going on. Her children, who had been smashed against the wall, just like her parents-in-law now were struggling to get back on their feet.

"Get out of here, now!" Hermione Weasley hissed with so much need that Arthur and Hugo took the women's hands and pulled them away.

Then at that moment, the small man in auror robes had controlled the heavy shaking and shouted with all the power he had left in his body: "_Conteret Perdere!_"

As soon as the auror had spoken the spell for complete destruction, Hermione had braced herself for the blow that came only half a millisecond later. The hospital room that her husband was lying in exploded; glass had shattered and the window frame broke into a million pieces.

The two conscious healers now heard a loud gasp for breath from their patient, who was finally conscious.

Hermione grabbed her wand as soon as the blast removed a few pieces of glass from her arms. She stepped over the pieces that used to be the window frame of the hospital room and pointed her wand at the unconscious healer, reviving him. The small auror was blown unconscious and Hermione guessed that he was going to be diagnosed with the same condition Harry Potter was just diagnosed with. After a short look at her husband who was sitting up straight and looking around him confused, Hermione looked back to the small auror whose face was dripping in sweat, paler than the wallpaper that used to cling to the hospital walls and a small stream of blood coming from his nose. The wide eyed healers now set off the alarm, calling for the aurors and two of them started to tend to Ron and one of them walked over to the small auror.

"It's no use. He is drained," Hermione said quickly, now breathing heavily.

The young healer eyed Hermione sceptically but nodded.

"What was it?" the young healer asked softly.

"A ghost of some sorts," Hermione replied thinking.

Hermione walked over to her husband, who was extending his hand to her.

"Are you alright, Mione?"

Hermione Weasley laughed just a little.

"Me? Says you!" she joked and pinched his hand softly.

Ron Weasley smiled back at his wife who had little pieces of glass in every inch of her body, causing little bits of blood slowly pouring out of her skin.

"You have to see a healer soon," Ron said smiling slowly.

"I know," Hermione said, smiling lightly and kissing his cheek, "I just don't want to leave you yet."

Now Ron pinched Hermione's hand lightly, "I'm not going anywhere. Don't worry, sweetheart."

Then, aurors came running and all pointed wands all around the room.

"Copy to headquarters, we have Weasley, his body is clean and Smithers is passed out on the ground. We are doing an exile check now," a female auror stated and a husky dog ran away. All the aurors were performing spells and casting all kinds of charms. One was busy restoring the room and hallway when the Weasley's came back from around the corner.

The largest African auror, who Hermione happened to know as Azikiwe, nodded to the only female auror present.

"Falls for headquarters, exile completed. Doing a clean-up now."

"Weasley you are very lucky that Smithers knew about it," the deep voice of Azikiwe sounded, looking stern at Ron.

"Yes, I know Azikiwe."

"Next time call for back up. No more hero-acts. It almost got three of our best aurors killed."

Ronald Weasley nodded. Since the wizarding world entered the 21st century everything at headquarters was different. There was not one auror leader but there were team captains. In every mission there were always two team captains. And one of those team captains always was a newbie training them to make decisions for the group. One of the transfers from the African aurors was Azikiwe, an auror with a talent for strategic planning.

When Rose, Hugo, Molly and Arthur carefully stepped forward and the healers nodded towards the family members, they ran forward to hug Ron Weasley.

* * *

**Third date**

Scorpius, who had heard of the unfortunate accident in the Weasley family, had sent a card to Mr. Weasley to get better soon, and to Harry Potter as well.

Rose had sent him a letter wherein she'd explained what had happened and apologized. Scorpius had written back, telling her not to worry because he had felt bad getting stuck in the hospital too.

Then, before he sent the reply, Scorpius went to Lucy to ask about if he still needed to go on a date with Rose Weasley. To which Lucy Weasley had replied with a simple 'yes' to send Scorpius on his way back.

This time, they decided to meet at the Time Turner restaurant again, but now they both promised to show up, on time. Another arranged Saturday evening at seven, at the Time Turner.

Scorpius had left fifteen minutes before seven, arriving there only three minutes later, simply because he didn't want to floo and get his neat robes all dusty from the fireplace. When he was shown to his table, Rose Weasley wasn't anywhere to be seen, but she still had twelve minutes to be on time.

The restaurant's host, who introduced himself as Jean-Paul from France, welcomed him and offered him the wine-list. Scorpius had politely accepted and waited patiently for Rose Weasley to arrive.

Lucy Weasley better be right about this or it's going to be really awkward, Scorpius thought.

After two minutes of looking at the wine-list, Scorpius had made his decision but he decided to wait, not order ahead like he usually did on dates, but he had a feeling that Rose Weasley wanted to have a say in everything. And besides, Rose Weasley wasn't comparable to any of the other date's he'd been on, because on forehand Scorpius had known about them being airheads and not being able to hold a nice conversation. But Rose Weasley, as employee at the Department of Magical Cooperation probably had some interesting subjects to talk about. At least to Scorpius' expectations.

After two more minutes he rose from his chair to straighten his tight, black evening robes, not wanting to make a bad first impression. Then, the door of the dining room opened and the host held the door for a young witch dressed in red.

"Merci, Jean-Paul. Vous avez été une aide formidable," she said softly towards the host.

Scorpius quickly translated in his head; '_Thank you, Jean-Paul. You have been a tremendous help._' And after that silently thanking his mother for forcing him to learn French.

"S'il vous plait, Madame Weasley. Suivez-moi, s'il vous plait."

'_You are welcome, Miss Weasley. Follow me, please._'

She followed the host to the table Scorpius was now standing at and he automatically moved his eyes over her outfit.

She was wearing a red dress that stopped just above the knee, a deep red lipstick that was drawing more attention to her mouth once Scorpius had seen it, and a small golden bracelet with five rubies. Her hair was somehow charmed in an elegant updo that matched the complete picture of a fine young witch. For reasons Scorpius couldn't fathom, his heart skipped a beat while he stepped forward to kiss her hand.

"Miss Rose Weasley, my name is Scorpius Senas Malfoy. It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

Her eyes moved over his tall figure and she sent him a wide smile in return.

"Mister Scorpius Malfoy, the pleasure is all mine."

He released her hand and walked over to her chair to hold it out for her.

"Allow me," he gestured to the chair for her to take place.

"Thank you."

Once they were both seated, Scorpius passed on the wine-list to Rose.

"Do you want to look for yourself?" Scorpius offered.

"Yes, I'll have the Chateauneuf du Pape, Domaine du Pegau from the '90," Rose said, handing back the wine-list to Jean-Paul.

"I didn't see that one on the list," Scorpius replied, now a little confused.

"I have asked the manager for a special wine off the menu and they had it. Have you ever had a Chateauneuf?" she asked, her voice friendly.

"Mais, oui. But never one from before 2000." Scorpius replied smiling.

Now, Rose raised her brows, clearly impressed.

"Do you speak French, Scorpius?"

"I do."

"Good. We'll both have a glass of that one then," Rose said to Jean-Paul who smiled broadly and walked off after handing them both the menu card.

"So, I must say I found out last two dates rather unsatisfactory, since I don't know much about you," Scorpius started.

"What would you like to know?" she asked.

"You went to Beauxbatons-"

Jean-Paul arrived with two glasses of wine and left immediately after. Scorpius and Rose took their glasses and raised them before both taking a sip.

"Beauxbatons was nice. At first I was really angry for not being allowed to go where the rest of my family went, but soon after I started I found out that most of the anger comes from being bored, or being irritated by stupidity. So when I needed to learn French really fast, I didn't speak one word of French mind you, I was finally challenged. I followed fifteen classes instead of the usual eight and I was finally able to enjoy myself. And there were others like me as well, a friend of mine took all seventeen classes! And about that comment I made on stupidity; I personally find stupidity repulsive. And please don't confuse that with people who are trying to learn and are ambitious but are actually bound by the limits of their abilities, I can completely respect that. But what I mean is actual stupid people who feel no need to be better, doing everything with no effort. I find laziness and stupidity just…"

"-repulsive," Scorpius added, understanding exactly how she felt about it.

"Right, so what about you? How did you find Hogwarts?"

"Well, since my father was a non-convicted ex-Death Eater… it wasn't that nice until Albus became my friend. Since then everybody tolerated me."

"That is also something I find very stupid. How can someone your age, judge you for something your father has done? Or hasn't done? Ridiculous," Rose muttered before taking a sip of her wine.

Other guys might be irritated by Rose, but instead, Scorpius found it very refreshing, not being fake.

"So I heard you have eaten here before, is there something you can recommend?" Scorpius asked, looking at the menu.

Rose had the decency to look ashamed but that quickly disappeared when she smiled broadly and unconsciously placed her hand on her black clutch.

"This one is on me, Scorpius. Don't worry. And yes, I can suggest the…"

Three and a half hours later, Jean-Paul came by their table and asked if they were ready to leave.

"Yes, I believe so," Rose stated dryly.

"Very well, we will send the bill to your Gringotts account, Miss Weasley."

"Thank you, Jean-Paul. Give my love to Vierra."

"I will."

Scorpius, who had seen the whole thing happening in front of his nose, held out his arm for Rose to take.

"I have a suggestion, but I have a feeling you are not able to keep up…" Scorpius teased.

"Now, you have certainly piqued my interest. But I can guarantee I can keep up with anything except Quidditch. So tell me, what did you have in mind?" Rose asked while she took his arm.

"A liquor bar, I feel like getting wasted tonight," Scorpius stated bluntly. This made Rose laugh out loud and when she moved her hands over his muscled arms, she thought for a second and then pinched his upper arm hard. She was surprised by his change tonight. In the beginning of the night Scorpius held back, not saying exactly what he meant, but instead fine-coating it with honey and vague words.

But when Rose explained how she hated the accommodating nature of most of her conversations at work as employee of Magical Cooperation, she was glad she didn't have to do it in her personal life and Scorpius finally stated his true mind.

"Lead the way," Rose said, smiling broadly.

* * *

**The next morning**

When Scorpius arrives at Albus apartment to report how their date went, Albus is already waiting.

"Morning, Scorpius. So, how was your night?"

Scorpius moved his eyes over his best friend's looks. It looked like Albus just rolled out of bed and only took the effort to put on a pair of pants for Scorpius' sake.

"To my own surprise, really good. She is very refreshing in the way she speaks and thinks," Scorpius answered honestly.

"Yeah and drop-dead gorgeous, or so I've been told," Albus replied inattentive.

"That is not why I like her, it's a contributing factor, but not the reason why. She is actually quite… refreshing," Scorpius opposed.

"So, Lucy was right! Well, congrats Scorpius! Feel like a game?" Albus motioned to his Wizard chess set on the kitchen table.

"Sure. So how was your evening?" Scorpius asked while taking place at the kitchen table.

"It was alright-"

Then Albus' bedroom door opened and a gorgeous southern looking girl puts her head around the door. To Scorpius' surprise he recognized her as Michelle Goodwill, his father's assistant.

"Hey Al, do you know where- oh, hi Scorpius, how are you?"

"Just a second Scorpius," Albus said while quickly walking over to his bedroom and closing the door behind him.

Scorpius shook his head smiling and set up the pieces to begin.

* * *

**At Rose's apartment**

"So, how was your date?" Lucy asked when she poured herself a cup of tea in the kitchen and Rose a bit of Anti-Hangover Potion.

"It was not that bad. I actually enjoyed his company after a while," Rose replied while taming her hair and putting on some clothes.

Lucy smiled broad now, making sure that Rose wouldn't see it and shook her head. In Rose's language that was like admitting that she had a huge crush on him already.

"So when will you see him again?" Lucy wondered.

"Urgghhh, stupid pants- uhm, I think I'll see him Tuesday, were going to the Scamander Magical Zoo in Scotland. You know what is funny? Scorpius' favourite animal and patronus animal is also an Augurey!"

"Oh really?"

"Yeah!"

"I could've never guessed," Lucy replied with an all-knowing smile gracing her lips.


	6. Never Enough

**House: Eagles**

**Class: History of Magic**

**Category: Drabble**

**Prompt: [Song] Never Enough from The Greatest Showman**

**Words: 1162**

* * *

**Never Enough**

The Great Hall had never looked so beautiful. The four long tables were shrunken and put in the corner, music was playing and there seemed to be more the floating candles than ever. It was the first time that Rose was allowed to attend the annual Hogwarts Battle Remembrance Ball. All Hogwarts graduates over the age of 21 were allowed to attend and it had become a grander and grander fest over the years with many important people giving life-changing speeches. The ball was quite public as many photographers were present, snapping a picture of anything that moved. The funny thing was, most journalists were more interested in the youngest Potter and Weasley generation rather than the older one that had actually fought the battle. Albus´ and Rose´s parents were polite to everyone attending the ball, even the Malfoy´s, but neither family knew that Albus, Rose and Scorpius were quite friendly with each other. Whilst Rose was ready to fight for their friendship, Scorpius had insisted they´d keep it a secret because his parents probably wouldn´t approve. Rose had laughed wholeheartedly as she knew her father would get sick at the thought of it, but instead she told him that she was ready to face any challenge head-on. Albus had respected Scorpius´ choice and told him that the truth would come out sooner or later. The relationship between Albus and Scorpius was quite different compared to the relationship between Rose and Scorpius.

Though there was never a big love confession, both of them knew exactly what the other felt. By the way they felt comfortable looking into each other´s eyes without looking away once, like saying what they were feeling with their eyes and being perfectly content. It would always end with both of them smiling and giving each other a long hug if the surroundings allowed it. They hadn´t expressed their feelings with words at any time, not even jokingly, but they always knew.

That changed when they had been on a secret holiday with Albus and his girlfriend Samantha Ryder, a Hufflepuff. Scorpius had told Rose out of the blue that he was betrothed to another girl. He told Rose how much he loved her and promised that after they graduated from Hogwarts, he´d leave her alone for the rest of her life and that was that.

His only fault was that he hadn´t calculated seeing her each year at a ball that they had to attend, and all excuses to decline attendance would never be accepted. So this evening, Rose had tried her best to stay away from Scorpius, knowing all too well that they being in close proximity would get too much attention for comfort.

Even though she was surrounded by her cousins and friends, and her on-and-off again boyfriend, Josh Branson, no conversation interested her enough to listen closely. She looked up at the thousands of floating candles in the Great Hall and smiled, enjoying the memories of her time at Hogwarts that flooded her brain and suddenly she felt someone brush past her.

Scorpius Malfoy stood in front of her and then bowed deeply as an official invitation to dance.

"Might I have this dance?" his velvet voice sounded unwavering. He looked straight into her eyes, not breaking contact once. Rose´s cousins and friends that had surrounded her all looked at him in shock and then back to Rose to see her reply. Rose eyed him in surprise and wasn´t sure if this was a big gesture for friendship or love and decided that regardless, she´d always say yes to him.

She heard Josh muttering something but couldn't hear what he was saying. Then, she smiled broadly and nodded back, like a lady was expected to do, before calmly placing her hand in his waiting hand. As soon as their hands touched, she felt the electricity. How right it felt that he was holding her. Rose tried to think about the consequences whilst he guided her to the centre of the Great Hall, where people were dancing a waltz. She heard people's words echoing and slowly tuned them out and focussed completely on Scorpius.

He placed his hand around her waist and she nodded whilst finally looking back into his eyes. When their eyes met, a sort of calmness coursed through her, like the recognition of their ritual had made her feel calm and yet extremely tensed at the same time. They held each other's gaze like they had done so many times before whilst he led her around the dance area, never missing a step. They moved across the floor and Rose only heard the string quartets, which were playing beautifully. Rose felt like everything else around them faded and like there were a thousand spotlights pointed at them.

His silver-grey eyes looked at her intently and she felt like he could see right into her soul. It felt like they were flying above the ground, powerful, perfectly content, well-balanced, and utterly happy. She slowly began to smile and she saw him smiling as well, until they were both smiling at each other in a dorky way.

It took a while for her to realise that they were standing still again. The spotlights seemed to fade and the echo of people talking was audible again. Rose furrowed her eyebrows, refusing to let this moment be over. He was about to let go, she sensed it and she held his shoulder and hand a little tighter. Her smile faded and she looked determined into his piercing eyes. With her eyes she would tell him that she wouldn't let this go. He could not do this and then leave! This was not enough to last her a whole year of not seeing him, she could not handle that reality. His hold on her waist and hand began to soften and then Rose shook her head, angrily staring into his eyes and holding on tighter. He had to know.

This, dancing once a year at a public ball, would never be enough for Rose. Never.

Somehow, even whilst Rose hadn't said one word, Scorpius knew just by looking into her eyes that this would never be enough for her. Rose stared right back into his eyes, pleading that he made a choice, either be with her forever or leave her alone for the rest of her life. The pair just stood there looking at each other in silence, electricity sparking between them. Whilst Rose waited for him to decide, she realised that he could not make the decision. He would not make the decision. Was it really so hard for him to choose her in a heartbeat? Rose felt the anger of rejection starting to boil in her blood and subsequently released him from her hold. She made the decision for him and turned around quite dramatically, her red curls cutting through the air.

Then, suddenly, she felt a hand wrapping around her arm. "Rose, wait."


	7. The Note

**The Note**

"Hey Rose, look what I got!"

I looked up from my Transfiguration book and placed it next to me on the covers. Jenny handed me a neat-folded piece of parchment with my name on it, whilst looking eager for me to read it. I took it and stared at the handwriting. I didn't recognize it but it could be spelled with a handwriting-changing spell. Taking my wand from under my pillow, Jenny sat down at the feet end of my bed and I pulled my feet in. "I found the note just outside the portrait of the fat lady."

"Did you already read it?" I asked, almost certain that Jenny would never do that.

"I didn't... but I really wanted to."

Smiling slightly at her honesty, I nodded and opened the note. My eyes moved over the letters and I felt my mouth opening more and more with every word.

I stared at the piece of paper.

My heart started to beat louder in my throat while my brain processed the words slowly. Suddenly, I knew what to do. Moving the covers off of me, I took out my wand and I hurried out of the room while crushing the piece of parchment in my hand and not letting it go.

"That bastard," I heard myself mutter.

"Wait! What does it say? Rose! Is something wrong? Who sent it?!" I heard Jenny yell in the distance, but I didn't respond because I had only one goal.

My heart was beating so loud that I couldn't hear anything else. When I nearly entered the dungeons I was panting so heavily that I was sure I was going to pass out if I kept this up. A portrait commented that I should stop running because it was already night time, but I ignored it. When I finally set foot in the Slytherin common room it was again lit with green light from the Great Lake, like I'd seen so many times before when visiting Albus.

I stormed to Albus' room, thankful that the boy's stairs didn't turn into slides. Breaking the door open with force, I stared straight into the face of Oliver Brahms, the shortest Slytherin of our year.

"Rose? What are you doing here?" Oliver's voice sounded sleepy and he rubbed in his eyes to wake himself up.

"Nothing," I replied while brushing past him and past Albus' bed, to Scorpius' who was sitting on his bed. Scorpius' face wasn't sleepy like Oliver's, Albus', Paul's or Bartholomeus', instead it seemed alarmed and awake. When his grey eyes met mine I felt so much blood rush to my head that time seemed to stand still.

The only thing I heard was the sound of my heart pounding in my chest. I was frozen in my place and Scorpius seemed to be in the same predicament. Everything around him faded into one blurry mess and I could only see him. My chest was still heaving from storming over here and I found myself not knowing what to say, until, "You bastard!"

"I'm sorry? What did I do?" Scorpius asked heedless while raising his eyebrows only just.

"Do you think you can just send me this and then be done with it?" I thundered while raising the crushed piece of parchment and not believing for one second that he was innocent.

"I have never seen that before in my life," Scorpius replied heedless once again.

I had to give him credit, if I didn't know him better I would have believed him. Almost.

Decreasing the distance between us, I was vaguely aware of the other boys in the room, including my favourite cousin Al, but I decided to ignore it. My eyes left his for one second, just to look at his lips. Scorpius held his breath visibly and I couldn't hold in my emotion any longer.

I threw myself forward and pressed my lips against his. His response was immediate; he engulfed me in his arms, kissing me hungrily and moving one hand through my bush of red curls.

The piece of parchment I had been holding all this time, fell to the floor and while moving my hands through his hair, I recalled the words as clear as the brightest star in the night sky.

_Just know that when we are together, whatever we are talking about, whatever we are doing, I'm thinking of kissing you._


	8. Lipstick

**Lipstick**

"I beg your pardon?" Scorpius asked disbelieving.

Rose seemed hesitant to say it again and Scorpius couldn't blame her if what she said was true.

"Delilah, she has been cheating on you," Rose stammered softly.

Scorpius hadn't seen Rose in ages, for good reason, because Delilah had been jealous of his friendship with Rose and he didn't want to hurt Delilah. Somehow, Rose had been surprisingly understanding. Later he'd understood from Albus that Rose's boyfriend, Charles, had been equally jealous of her friendship with Scorpius and all pieces seemed to fall into place.

What Scorpius didn't understand was how Rose came to find out about his girlfriend cheating on him whilst he didn't even know.

"Okay, so how do you know?" Scorpius heard his own voice ask.

Rose her eyes seemed hurt but determined and burning with the fire he now remembered brightly from before. No one wanted to be on the receiving end of that fire. Really, no one.

"I started noticing a few months ago that Charles' claims of where he was, weren't always right. Now, normally that is not something to be worried about, because Charles is often busy with secret stuff he can't even tell me about. After a grumpy period on his side, he suddenly became a lot happier and I thought it was because of the vacation we had planned. A few weeks ago, Charles had been coming home later than usual, complaining about his dirty clothes and demanded that I immediately washed them when he stepped into the apartment. His clothes didn't look dirty to me, but nonetheless I washed them for him with a simple flick of my wand. One day, when he was in the shower and I was washing again, my mom called and I forgot a few spells during washing and when I did the drying spell, I realised that something was really wrong. There was a lipstick stain on his collar. A pink lipstick stain."

Scorpius knew what she was going to say, even before she said it.

"I went to the lipstick store, and they told me that it was Fabulous in Pink 508 by Magical Lip Incorporations. Well, I don't have to tell you who wears that shade every moment of every day."

Scorpius shook his head.

"Of course, it could have been any other witch who owned that same lipstick. But I did some thorough research and…"

"I get it, I get it! They cheated on us! So what happens now?" Scorpius shouted angrily, not wanting to hear more details of his best friend.

"Now, the fun part begins," Rose's eyes were really burning with fire now and a psycho look appeared on her face.

Scorpius felt the betrayal slowly igniting his fire on the inside as well and waited for Rose to finish. Rose put her lips next to his ear and whispered, "Now we are going to get revenge. My idea was...-"

"No," Scorpius interjected her when a life-changing idea materialised in his brain.

"I have an idea. Do you still have that personal gift box you got from your Uncle George?" Scorpius asked, the corners of his lips dangerously curling up and his look dead serious.

"I do," Rose answered and began to think about his idea. "But…-"

Scorpius interjected her one final time. "No buts. We are going to destroy them. No one messes with a Weasley and a Malfoy. Never."

"Fine, but let's invite Albus, he loves to have a laugh."

"Already ahead of you, Weasley," Scorpius said while stepping into the fireplace and flooing to Albus house.

**A/N. Filled with plot holes, yet a little funny I hope. Unbetaed and written in about 20 minutes. Inspired by the Dutch song Lippenstift by Marco Borsato, Snelle and John Ewbank.**


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